Austin, TX
Austin police, Texas DPS give update on partnership to Austin City Council
APD, Texas DPS give replace on partnership to Austin Metropolis Council
This replace comes after demographic knowledge revealed 9 out of 10 DPS misdemeanor arrests had been individuals of shade.
AUSTIN, Texas – Austin Metropolis Council was briefed on the Austin Police Division and Texas DPS partnership. It is a partnership that was put in place a month in the past to assist with the police staffing scarcity.
“We’ve got to have that transparency if we need to construct a sustainable, strategic manner ahead that addresses the shared targets that all of us have,” stated Alison Alter, District 10 council member.
This comes days after the Travis County Legal professional’s Workplace launched demographic knowledge revealing almost 90% of misdemeanor arrests made by DPS had been individuals of shade.
9 out of 10 misdemeanor arrests made by DPS in Austin are individuals of shade
Metropolis and county officers are calling this newly-released demographic knowledge from the Travis County legal professional’s workplace extraordinarily regarding. It is a worry they’ve had from the beginning of the partnership between DPS and APD.
“We do not need individuals to really feel like they’re a goal or there’s racial profiling occurring,” stated Mayor Kirk Watson.
Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon says the division assigns the 100 DPS troopers accessible to the place probably the most violent crime is seen every week. DPS Director Steven McCraw says the misdemeanor arrests knowledge aligns with the place APD assigned them.
“If you happen to take a look at the numbers, you may see that it is in step with the demographics of town, within the county, you realize, up till we started this operation,” stated McCraw.
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Chief Chacon says APD and DPS are keen to strategize how this partnership runs to keep away from any concept that they’re concentrating on sure teams of individuals.
“I very a lot plan to do this in order that we’re not having a disparate affect on our communities of shade,” stated Chief Chacon.
Information from first two weeks of APD, Texas DPS partnership offered to metropolis council
Chief Chacon says there are greater than 300 vacant officer positions and that quantity grows every single day. He says this partnership between APD and DPS is proving to be extraordinarily precious in terms of conserving Austin protected through the staffing scarcity.
McCraw added DPS is right here to assist APD throughout its staffing scarcity. He says troopers are usually not right here to make anybody scared.
“You must really feel protected, not threatened. You must really feel like lastly we have some safety from us,” he stated.
Council reiterated they’re for this partnership, however one thing has to alter.
“There are areas the place I feel that this operation may actually make a distinction and be efficient, however it merely can’t be on the expense of our, once more, our eastside communities the place we’re seeing a disproportionate quantity of ticketing occur,” stated Vanessa Fuentes, District 2 council member.
The subsequent replace on the APD and DPS partnership might be Could 22 on the Public Security assembly.